Smock Alley Theatre, 1662 was the first custom built theatre in Dublin City and still remains in substantially the same form, making it one of the most important sites in European theatre history.
Smock Alley Theatre, 1662 was the first theatre outside London to receive the title of Theatre Royal, but, because it had been built on land reclaimed from the Liffey, the building was unstable and the gallery collapsed twice. It was rebuilt in 1735.
The theatre closed in 1787. The building was then used as a whiskey store until Father Michael Blake bought it to set up a church. When the bell tolled in 1811, 18 years before the Catholic Emancipation, the first Catholic bell to ring in Dublin in nearly 300 years was heard. The façade boasts ornate stained glass windows and the original ceiling plasterwork remain in the Smock Alley as a witness of this time.
After a six year renovation, Smock Alley Theatre, 1662 reopened its doors as Dublin’s oldest newest theatre in May 2012. With three gorgeous venues, Smock Alley is the perfect place to spend a cultural evening out. They partner with many arts and cultural festivals to welcome audiences, engage with artists and create exciting cultural events. From Dublin Theatre Festival to First Fortnight and from IMRAM to the Irish literature Festival these partnerships are a vital part of their annual programme.
- A Grain of Sand حبّة رمل
Arts and cultureA Grain of Sand حبّة رمل Renad, a young Gazan girl, embarks on a dangerous journey. Carrying only the echoes of her grandmother’s tales and the spark of her own imagination, she searches for her family and the ‘Anqaa’ – the mythical Palestinian Phoenix.
- Of Mornington by Billy Roche
Arts and cultureOf Mornington by Billy Roche Acclaimed playwright Billy Roche & renowned Irish Actor Gary Lydon continue their 40-year creative alliance to present OF MORNINGTON; a raw, unsentimental drama set in a rundown café where three lost souls collide, revealing broken dreams.
- Adelphi '63
Arts and cultureAdelphi '63 Dublin Municipal Theatre & Muirenn Lyons present Adelphi '63. Hundreds flock to see JFK in the Phoeno, the city mourns the dead of the collapsing tenements, housewives protest the Turnover-Tax and sexism is rife… but never mind all that.
- Sorry You Felt That Way
Arts and cultureSorry You Felt That Way Well Played present Sorry You Felt That Way, an award winning domestic thriller about love and the things we wish we didn’t know.
- Entr’acte Summer Concert
Arts and cultureEntr’acte Summer Concert Entr’acte is delighted to present their fourth annual summer concert. Entr’acte is a Dublin-based Musical Theatre and Drama Society.
- Shock Therapy
Arts and cultureShock Therapy Laylah Beattie is a writer and performance artist known for her advocacy work. Shock Therapy is an intimate one-woman show about surviving mental illness against all odds.
- The Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here))
Arts and cultureThe Fit Prince (who gets switched on the square in the frosty castle the night before (insert public holiday here)) Panic! In Swedonia. The King is dead and the prince next in line to the throne is unmarried – if he doesn’t find someone soon he must forfeit the crown!
- Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story
Arts and cultureDiana: The Untold and Untrue Story After a sold-out run in The Boys’ School, Awkward Prods are bringing Diana BACK to Smock Alley Theatre due to exceptional demand
